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A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 29 augusT 2019

Shelter data pinpoints U.S. destinations of asylum seekers

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A de- month that stations weren't
tailed snapshot of the re- designed for long-term cus-
cent surge of asylum-seek- tody and were occupied
ing families crossing into at "unprecedented and
the U.S. from Mexico gives unsustainable" levels.
a sense of how they were Customs and Border Pro-
treated after entering and tection, the Border Patrol's
where they settled. parent agency, contracts
Houston was the destina- for translation services
tion for 432 of 7,358 families when officers cannot de-
briefly housed in a San Di- termine migrants' primary
ego shelter from late Octo- languages, said Ralph
ber through June, 100 more DeSio, a spokesman in San
than the second most pop- Diego. San Diego County
ular spot, Los Angeles. The has allowed Jewish Family
count reflects Houston's Service to run the shelter
emergence as a primary in a former courthouse for
gateway for immigrants, free. The shelter, which re-
including many Central lies on state funding and
Americans. private donations, houses
The details about the mi- up to 250 people, provid-
grants' destinations were This Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019 photo, a sign in Spanish with travel times to U.S. destinations is on ing hot meals, showers and
extrapolated for The Asso- display at a migrant shelter affiliated with the San Diego Rapid Response Network in San Diego. cots for one to three days.
ciated Press from a survey Associated Press The shelter's population
of shelter migrant registra- has dropped as border ar-
tion forms compiled by Tom Mexican immigrants, was cases wind through bottle- mon languages include the rests have fallen and the
K. Wong, an associate po- the destination for only 76 necked immigration courts. Mayan dialects of K'iche', U.S. ramped up a policy to
litical science professor at families, ranking 21st with Among San Diego asylum- Q'eqchi and Mam, Viet- make asylum seekers wait
University of California, San less than half the number seeking families, 31% report- namese and Creole. in Mexico while their cases
Diego. of families headed to Nash- ed problems with U.S. cus- Guatemalans accounted wind through U.S. courts.
A report on the survey was ville, Tennessee, and barely tody conditions, according for 48% of families served Mexicans are exempt from
made public Wednesday more than Fort Myers, Flor- the study by Wong's U.S. in San Diego, Hondurans the policy.
that focuses on custody ida. Immigration Policy Center. made up 30%, El Salvador- Luz Viviana Perez, 53, said
conditions and demo- Dumas, a town of 15,000 Families were held an aver- ans 8% and Haitians 5%. she spent more than two
graphic characteristics of people in the Texas Pan- age of 3.4 days. "These findings raise seri- years on the run through
the asylum seekers who handle that is half Latino The most common com- ous due process concerns," her native Mexico, trying to
stayed at the shelter af- and has a large meatpack- plaints were about food said Kate Clark, director escape an abusive partner
filiated with the San Diego ing plant nearby, was the and water, including insuffi- of immigration services at who trailed her, knocked
Rapid Response Network, a destination for 56 families, cient infant formula, spoiled Jewish Family Service of San her teeth out and pressured
coalition of attorneys, ad- more than Denver, Phoenix food and dirty water. Oth- Diego. "If asylum-seeking their 17-year-old daughter
vocates and civic groups. or Seattle. Other small cities ers reported issues with hy- families are not being given to become a prostitute.
U.S. authorities arrested that drew large numbers in- giene, including not having vital instructions about their "We've been through-
or stopped nearly 800,000 clude Huntsville and Gads- a toothbrush or toothpaste immigration proceedings in out Mexico, fleeing from
people from October to den in Alabama and Chat- and lack of showers. Nearly a language they can read place to place," she said
June, making the snapshot tanooga, Tennessee. half those who complained or understand, how can we Tuesday at the shelter with
of more than 17,100 adults The coalition opened its had issues related to sleep, expect them to navigate the 17-year-old and her
and children who passed shelter in late October, overcrowding and confine- an already complex legal 12-year-old daughter.
through San Diego a partial when U.S. authorities be- ment and cold tempera- process that is increasingly Perez is familiar with com-
but still significant view of a gan releasing asylum- tures. stacked against them?" plaints about U.S. custody
surge that overwhelmed seeking families before The study found that one of U.S. Customs and Border conditions but she had no
authorities and led to mi- they could arrange travel. every five heads of house- Protection said that it pro- complaints about her five
grants being held in some- Families were released with holds had a primary lan- vides the migrants three days in a 30-person cell.
times squalid conditions. ankle monitors for heads guage other than Span- meals daily, drinks, unlim- The lights were always on
In another reflection of of household and notices ish but nearly 90% of them ited snacks and hygiene but she said she ate four
shifting demographics, Chi- to report to authorities in were given legal instruc- products. Border Patrol times daily and showered
cago, a longtime draw for destination cities while their tions in Spanish. Other com- Chief Carla Provost said last every other day.q